The Crystal Crisis
by xxPillow
Summary: Vincent is back, RJ is having visions, and two forest animals are about to become pawns in the bear's plot for revenge. [RJxOC, minor RJxHammypossibly]
1. Capturing Raddish

**Over the Hedge - The Crystal Crisis**

Vincent is back, RJ is having visions, and two forest animals are about to become pawns in the bear's plot for revenge. RJxOC, minor RJxHammy(possibly)

Chapter One - Capturing Raddish

Disclaimer - I don't own Over the Hedge, or any of it's characters. I do own Crystal and Raddish though, along with this idea. I hope you all enjoy!

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A pair of bright blue eyes blinked, as they watched a rather hippity-hoppity rabbit bounce up and down across the meadow from her. The female raccoon smirked, and with a roll of those crystalline eyes, she chased after the small, ebony bunny. The little male bunny had been her friend for a long time, and they constantly played tag within the supposed safety of the meadows.

"Bet'cha can't catch me, Cryss!" hollered the little rabbit. His name was Raddish, because he absolutely adored raddishes, and his mother had thought it suited it him perfectly. The raccoon, with a bright blue ribbion tied around her striped, bushy tail, was named Crystal. While Raddish was cheerful, optimistic, and kind, Crystal was sarcastic, pessimistic, and defiant. She challenged everything, while he thought everything happened for a reason. The dark bunny with emerald eyes laughed as he caught the raccoon chasing him out of the corner of his eye. "I'll get you, Rad!" she retorted, though laughing.

A pair of dark eyes watched the pair from within the bushes surrounding the clearing. The bear from only a year ago chuckled, knowing this cute little raccoon would certainly befriend and be taken in by that pesky group of foragers, and wouldn't RJ simply adore her? Vincent had indeed been released, but instead of the Rockies, they returned him to his cave. Good for him, bad for the animals. Yes, his plan for revenge would be perfect - little miss raccoon would charm RJ, lure him to the cave, and he would kill him! The absolutely amazingly ideal way for the damned thing to die. The only obstacle would be if the raccoon didn't agree. //_Oh, but she will. She will._//

Meanwhile, Crystal and Raddish continued their games, not knowing that in mere moments Raddish would be in the bear's clutches, and Crystal would be on her way to trick another into his death. Vincent smirked in that smug way he had, and nodded as the rabbit headed in his direction, completely unaware of the gigantic bear. "Got'cha, little rodent!" he laughed, holding the dark bunny by the ears, poor Raddish struggling to free himself. Crystal's blue eyes widened, as she saw her friend - the one person who hadn't disowned her immediately - being taken captive by the rotten bear. "Let him go, you dirty bear!" she snarled, her slender body shaking with rage - and fear.

This only made Vincent laugh even louder, little Raddish shivering now, having realized there was no hope for him. "Listen, raccoon. I need you to do me a favor. You know who RJ is, right?" he asked, raising an eyebrow curiously. The female raccoon tilted her head, uncertain of the question. She nodded, figuring out who he was talking about. Most of her family had spoken of the supposedly devious, crafty, and con-artist RJ. "Yes, but /why/?" she asked, her voice faking confidence she didn't feel. She didn't fool herself - she was no match for a bear.

"Because I need you to play the part of abandoned damsel in distress, so you can weave yourself into his heart, so you can bring him to me, so I can kill him!" he replied, laughing loudly, the time in the lab obviously had taken it's toll on his sanity - if he ever had any. "Fine - I bring you RJ, and you return Raddish safe and sound?" her voice had been dead cold, as if she honestly didn't care. Which, in all truth - she didn't. RJ was nothing to her - at the moment. anyway. The bear had been slightly taken aback by how ruthless she sounded. "Yep - and, if you try and save him, or try to run, I'll be having rabbit-raddish-soup for dinner. You have until the next full moon, raccoon," he said, grinning madly.

"A week! That's insane! What do you think I am?" she retorted, folding her arms. "A week, or the pair of you will be my dinner," he replied, as if it was the most obvious fact in the world. "Oh, and you had better not tell them of your - heh - situation." He nodded at Crystal, before disappearing into the woods, the whimpers of Raddish ringing in Crystal's ears. The raccoon fell to her knees, tears pouring from her crystalline eyes. The ribbion in her tail was torn, just like her now shattered heart.


	2. Crystal's Entrance

**Over The Hedge - The Crystal Crisis**

Chapter Two - Convincing the Con-Artist

Disclaimer - I still don't own Over the Hedge, and I never will. Crystal and Raddish /are/ mine though, as well as this plot. Well, here's to Spuddehs.

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"I still think that we should be careful, even with Gladys gone!" came the cautious, stern voice from the turtle named Vern. "And I think that we should try harder! Winter /_is_/ coming, you know," replied the witty, charming voice of RJ the raccoon. The pair were 'debating' whether or not to continue with the exploitation of the humans just over the hedge. Of course they had taken food every once in a while during the past half year, but only when their stock ran low. It was now early spring once again, and the remark about winter on it's way made Vern roll his light brown eyes.

During this conversation, Crystal had listened from behind a row of bushes and trees, biting her lower lip, trying to figure out the best way to enter this obviously rag-tag group of forest creatures. Looking around, she saw a rather sharp looking stick. Picking it up, she stabbed her left foot with it, holding back her cry for the moment, as blood began to mix with her grey fur. Tossing the stick further into the woods, she messed up her fur, and rubbed her eyes with dirt to make them water. She even went as far as to tear her prized bright blue ribbion a bit more. Her story? She was attacked by a bear. The raccoon began to cry softly, letting the tears run down her face.

"Listen, RJ, I think -"

"Me! Me! Pick _me_!" came the hyper-actively innocent voice of Hammy.

"Hold on Hammy, one thing at a time!" replied Vern, trying to sound as nice as possible, but one could detect the strain in his voice. The Porcupines - Lou, Penny, Quillo, Bucky, and Spike - sat to Vern's left, listening and nodding, their heads following the entire shpeal. Tiger and Stella sat next to one another, both having figured they'd found the love of their lives, and were paying attention as well. Ozzie and Heather sat to RJ's left, both waiting for them to finish - the sooner they did, the sooner they could practice their dramatic deaths, which Heather know fully embraced. Hammy, on the other hand was hopping from foot to foot, his head in the direction of the small arrangement of bushes, trees, and shrubs. He had heard something crying in it, but as usual, Vern thought that the meeting came first. "B-but _Vern_!" he cried, waving his hand like a student who had to use the bathroom terribly. "What is it, Hammy?" he replied, rolling his light brown eyes once more. "Someone's **crying**!" he said, pointing towards the cluster. This caused everyone to look over in that direction, a few began to mumble. RJ and Vern exchanged a glance before nodding. "Vern, I'll go - wanna come, Hammy?" asked the raccoon. The squirrell nodded, biting his lower lip, and followed his friend.

What they saw would cause anyone to be startled. A female raccoon, blood pooling around her foot, the poor thing crying, and looking as if she had been through hell and back. Crystal turned her head slowly in the pair's direction, her crystalline blue eyes wide. "_H-help . . .,_" was all she could muster - even though she was acting, the pain really did hurt. But, it was for Raddish. Hammy zipped around to the other side of her, jumping from foot to foot. "What're we gonna do, RJ?" he asked nervously, sadness and worry obvious in his bright green eyes. The female coughed, tears still rolling down her cheek, as she looked away, obviously ashamed.

RJ glanced down at her, and saw how badly off she was. It looked as if she had been attacked by something. "Here," he muttered, picking her up and gingerly holding her in his arms. "S-sorry for causing . . . you so much t-trouble," she mumbled, a blush growing on her face, beneath the mask-like marking that outlined those brilliant blue eyes. Despite the fact that - he grudgingly admitted - she was cute, and seemingly injured, he wasn't convinced. Raccoons were known con-artists, and he knew this better than anyone. So, she would be treated as such - a possible con-artist. "It's not a problem," he replied nonchalantly, carrying her back to the others, with Hammy speeding off ahead.

Jaws dropped, gasps emerged, and the utter tension in the air was choking. "What _happened_ to her?" asked Penny, her midwestern accent thick as ever. The three brothers stared, while the two parents tried to shoo them away. Ozzie and Heather shook their heads, worried even though they had no idea who she was. Stella bit her lip, feeling bad for the poor raccoon, just like Tiger. Vern looked at her and sighed - though he didn't trust her as much as RJ he knew they couldn't - wouldn't - leave her for dead. "Hammy, bring me some bandages from the first aid kit, would you?" he asked, motioning for RJ to set her down. Stella brought a bag of shmellows to place underneath her head for comfort. Hammy, fast as ever, returned with an entire roll of the white bandages.

"Now, why don't you tell me how you ended up like this? And, what's your name?" asked Vern, his voice soft and kind. The female raccoon gave a small nod, before replying, "My name is Crystal, and I was playing with my friend in the meadows n-north of here. We were m-minding our own business, when this bear attacked us." Everyone gasped at this, though RJ looked away, a dark look on his face. Vern nodded sympathetically, as he wrapped up her foot with the bandage. "It chased us, and I couldn't find my friend after it bit me and threw me against s tree. I l-limped my way over to those trees and b-bushes, before I c-collapsed." Her voice was weak, and everyone felt sorry for her, well, almost everyone. "Did this /bear/ tell you his name?" The question came out of the blue, and everyone looked at RJ as he said it. "I t-think it was V-vincent," she replied, coughing afterwards. Everyone felt their heart break, not only for poor Crystal, but for the fact that the one person they hated more than Gladys had returned.

"You can stay here until your foot heals up," said RJ, before storming off, unusually moody. Vern shook his head, and answered to Crystal's questioning look, "That bear almost killed RJ, and us. We'll help you, but I don't know what we can do for your friend." The others crowded around Crystal with words of comfort and kindness, and for a moment, the female almost forgot what she was here for, and glowed despite her injury in the warmth of something she'd never truly had - a family.

a/n: Thanks for putting up with my crazy ideas. There'll be some RJ-Crystal interaction in the next chapter, along with possibly some RJ-Hammy mush. And, perhaps a little peak at how poor Raddish is holding up. And, an insight to Crystal's past, too. Well, til next time!


	3. Convincing a ConArtist

**Over the Hedge - The Crystal Crisis**

Chapter Three - Convincing a Con-Artist

Disclaimer - Still don't own this amazing movie. I wish I did, though. Anyways, I do own Crystal and Raddish, and don't forget the plot! Well, so we go.

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RJ sat up in his tree, despite the fact that it sometimes brought back memories of his first night in the hedgies' glen, after trying to convince them that suburbia was the way to go. The thought of how he acted pained him, and how close he had been to being killed by Vincent. And now, after Crystal's arrival, he felt the same way - nervously calm, and unconvinced. Something wasn't right about her, and yet he wanted to believe in those bright blue eyes, and her soft smile, and - "Whoa, whoa, watch it RJ," he muttered, holding his head. There was no way he could even have the smallest spark of feeling for the raccoon. Sure, they were the same species, and it was obvious she was having a tough time, but /_still_/!

The raccoon leaned back against the base of the branch, watching the moon in the sky, which was surrounded by stars. He closed his blue-grey eyes, his hands resting on her stomach, as he sat peacefully. //_You do realize that there's no hope for you now, RJ._// "What was that?" he asked, sitting up. Around him was darkness, and he was frozen to the spot, watching the shadows swirl around him. //_She is just like you were - lost, without family, and yet - you can't trust her?_// "Who are you?" he replied, narrowing his eyes. He reached for his golf bag, but found that he couldn't move, and that it wasn't there. //_I am of no importance. Merely a helpful vision. Vincent wants you dead, you know._// RJ wasn't sure what to be more afraid of - Vincent or this voice.

//_And, she was attacked by him. But, you don't trust her. What's there to lose?_// "My hea- Wait, no! I don't trust her, and that's final!" he muttered, looking away, unusure what trick this voice was trying to pull. //_How cute. You were going to say your heart, weren't you? No matter. She'll find another, and you'll remain the only raccoon - and Hammy won't even think of being your's, either._// "What does this have to with Hammy?" he asked, a look of confusion on his face. How did this thing know he had feelings for Hammy, and despite the fact he didn't trust her, possibly for Crystal//_I know all, I see all, I hear all, and I feel all. Give her a chance, and maybe you'll all get out of this alive, and with more than you originally wanted. Good-bye, RJ._//

RJ fell into the darkness, only to hear the echo of his name trailing after. "RJ, RJ, _wake up_!" called a soft, sweet voice. He awoke with a start, having been shaken by the shoulders, and almost knocked off whoever was standing over him off of the branch. He gasped and tried to crawl backwards when he saw it was Crystal. "W-what do _you _want?" he asked, trying to calm himself. "And how did you get up here?" The female raccoon laughed quietly, rolling her crystalline eyes. "I'm not as helpless as you think - once Vern bandaged my foot, and I stayed off of it for a while, I wanted to see what I could do with it. It only hurts when I put pressure on it," she replied, shrugging slightly, her tail swishing as she sat down across from RJ.

"That still doesn't explain why you were up here, shaking my shoulders," he pointed out, leaning against the base of the branch, less of afraid of her now. "I heard you mumbling something, so I came up here to see if you alright - I owe you for bringing me here, and for not simply leaving me," she said, her voice quiet. Her bright blue eyes met with his, and for a moment they both felt their hearts skip a beat. Crystal looked away first, coughing, as she toyed with her torn ribbion. "Anyways, I just wanted to make sure you were okay," she mumbled, getting up to leave. "Wait! I, uh, mean, I don't see why you can't sit up here a little longer," he said, grasping her paw. The female raccoon looked from him, to his paw, and back, before smiling. "Okay, why not?"

After about half an hour of questioning on both sides, Crystal was leaning against RJ, a contented smile on her face, as they continued to talk, the moon high in the sky. RJ was shocked with himself, and how easily they had found trust in one another. "I really am sorry for causing so much commotion. I'll leave as soon as my foot is healed," she said, glancing down at the bandaged foot. The male raccoon's blue-grey eyes widened, wondering why his heart almost broke at those words. Did he actually like her? Did he really not want her to leave? "Well, stay as long as you need to," he replied, taking a deep breath, hoping she couldn't hear how fast his heart was going.

"You know, when I was little, I never really had a **family**. I was tossed from place to place, but I never found people I could honestly call my family," she murmured, turning her face upward, torwards him, her entire being glowing in the bright moonlight. Her eyes glimmered like diamonds, and her smile was perfect. "I feel like, you could be my family, RJ," she whispered, and both found themselves moving closer to one another, their faces closing the gap. "I feel that way, to-" he started, before their lips met. After only a few moments of the sweet embrace, Crystal stood up, shaking her head. "I've gotta go, I'm sorry," she said, before nimbly leaving RJ on his branch, and disappearing into the small patch from where she had been rescued.

"Who was I kidding? He doesn't like me like that - it's impossible! I cannot let myself fall for him!" she whispered, holding her head. It was shocking how much the raccoons were alike - if she had a bag of Oh-Noes! she would be breathing into it. The female with crystalline eyes curled up, her torn ribbion in her hands, her tail keeping her warm. RJ, meanwhile, sat in his tree, feeling stupider than ever. It was the first time he'd felt this way towards another raccoon. Hammy had been his first small crush, but this time he felt like there could actually be something between him and Crystal. Yet, she ran away from him, left him behind, after their first kiss.

Well, she had done one thing for sure - she was definitely convincing the con-artist, even if it meant falling for him.


End file.
